This article describes how both production paradigms could solve challenges in manufacturing. The possibility to manufacture personalized products is key in a globalized and digitally connected world. The higher customer expectations lead to an increase in variant diversity and intensify complexity of the production environment. The Lean Management and the Industry 4.0 may influence each other iteratively to achieve this aim. For combining LM and I4.0 the extant literature manifested terms like lean 4.0, lean automation, smart lean manufacturing and lean industry 4.0.

These methods combine I4.0 tools like as additive manufacturing, automated guided vehicles, virtual representation, human-computer interaction, cloud computing, big data & data analytics with lean instruments like in time sequence, hejiunka, kanban, value stream mapping etc. In the article below, a matrix visualizes with I4.0 tools support the lean methods. The lean methods 4.0 should not be seen as single tools for cost reduction but as a holistic concept.

A use case exemplifies how CM (machine learning-based condition monitoring) and cloud computing contribute to enhancing TPM (total productive maintenance). One key area is the integration of employees to avoid (with lean methods) replicating failures from the introduction of computer integrated manufacturing.